Biology and Behaviour Flashcards
Franz Gall
One of first to believe brain anatomy is linked to behaviour, intellect, and personality. Believer in phrenology.
Phrenology
If a particular trait is well-developed, then the part of the brain responsible for that trait will expand, creating a bulge on the head. Pushed forward by Franz Gall.
Pierre Flourens
studied functions of the major sections of the brain. Studied through extirpation and ablation. (Extirpation = surgical removal and observation of consequences).
William James
father of American Psychology. Studied mind function in adapting to the environment. one of the first to push functionalism.
Functionalism
studies how mental processes help humans adapt to their environments. studied first by william james. also studied by John Dewey.
John Dewey
one of the first to study functionalism. his article criticised the concept of the reflex arc, which breaks reaction to stimulus into smaller parts. dewey believed in the organism as a whole as it function to adapt, not small moving parts.
Paul Broca
studied behavioural defects of people with brain damage. first to demonstrate that specific functional impairments could be linked with specific brain lesions..
Hermann von Helmholtz
first to measure speed of a nerve impulse.
Sir Charles Sherrington
inferred the existence of synapses.
Sensory neurons
afferent neurons. transmit sensory information from receptors to spinal cord and brain.
afferent neurons
sensory neurons. transmit information from receptors to spinal cord and brain.
motor neurons
efferent neurons. transmit motor information from the brain and spinal cord to muscles and glands.
efferent neurons
motor neurons. transmit motor information from brain and spinal cord to muscles and glands.
interneurons
found between other neurons. most numerous of the three types of neurons. predominantly in brain and spinal cord.
which neurons are linked to reflexive behaviour?
interneurons
reflex arc
controls reflexive behaviour. sensory receptors detec pain/extreme stimuli, then the signal is transmitted up to the spinal cord by the sensory nuerons. the sensory neurons now connect with the interneurons, which will then relay pain impulses to the brain. instead of waiting for the brain, the interneurons in the spinal cord will send signals to the muscles to the affected area.
CNS
composed of brain and spinal cord
PNS
nerve tissue and fibers outside brain and spinal cord, incl. all spinal nerves and 10/12 of the cranial nerves. connects cns to the rest of the body. divided into two subregions: somatic and autonomic nervous system.
somatic nervous system
part of the pns. sensory and motor neurons distributed within your skin, joints, and muscles. transmit through afferent fibers (sensory) and efferent fibers (motor).
autonomic nervous system
regulates heartbeat, respiration, digestion, and glandular secretion. manages involuntary muscles associated w internal organs and glands. divided into sympathetic and parasympathetic system.
parasympathetic nervous system
conserve energy (e.g decelerate heart rate, increase digestion, constrict bronchi). parasympethetic nervous system responsible for managing digestion by increasing peristalsis and exocrine secretions. acetylcholine is the neurotransmitter responsible for para. responses in the body.
acetylcholine
manages para. responses in the body.
functions of the para. nervous system (pupil, saliva, bronchi, heartbeat, peristalsis, bile release, bladder)
constrict pupils, stimulate saliva flow, constrict bronchi, slows heartbeat, stimulates peristalsis and secretion, stimulates bile release, contracts bladder.
sympathetic nervous system
activated by stress (major or minor). fight or flight response.
sympathetic nervous system functions (pupil, saliva, bronchi, heartbeat, piloerection, peristalsis, bile release, digestion, hormones, bladder, orgasm)
dilates pupils, inhibits salivation, relaxes bronchi, accelerates heartbeat, stimulates sweating or piloerection, inhibits peristalsis and secretion, stimulates glucose produces and release, secretion of adrenaline and noradrenaline, inhibits bladder contraction, stimulates orgasm
meninges
thick sheath that covers brain. hels protect brain, keep anchores within skull, and resorbs CSF. 3 layers: dura mater, arachnoid mater, and pia mater.
CSF
aqueous solution that the brain rests in. produces by specialised cells that line ventricles in brain.
three subdivisions of brain
forebrain-prosencephalon, midbrain-mesencephalon, hindbrain-rhombencephalon
brainstem
most primitive region of brain. composed of hindbrain (rhombencephalon) and midbrain (mesencephalon)
limbic system
group of neural structures associated with emotion and memory. aggrression fear, pleasure and pain are all associated with the limbic system.
cerebral cortex
outer covering of the cerebral hemispheres. covers everything from problem-solving to language development, impulse-control, to long-term planning.
forebrain principal structures
cerebral cortex, basal ganglia, limbic system, thalamus and hypothalamus
cerebral cortex function
complex perceptual, cognitice and behaviour processes
basal ganglia function
movement
limbic system function
memory and emotion
thalamus function
sensory relay station
hypothalamus function
hunger, thirst, emotion
midbrain principal structures
inferior and superior colliculi
inferior and superior colluculi function
sensorimotor reflexes
hindbrain principal structures
cerebellum, medulla oblongata, and reticular formation
cerebellum function
refined motor movements: posture, balance, and coordinates body movement. damage causes clumsiness, slurred speech, loss of balance
medulla oblongata function
vital functioning (breathing, digestion)
reticular formation
arousal and alertness
swellings of neural tube
prosencephalon, mesencephalon, rhombencephelon
hindbrain function
controls balance, motor coordination, breathing, digestion, and general arousal
divisions of rhombencephalon
metencephalon (cerebellum, pons), myencephalon (medulla oblongata)
pons function
above the medulla and contains sensory and motor pathways between the cortex and medulla
midbrain function
receives sensory and motor information from the rest of body. associated w involuntary reflex responses triggered by visual or auditory stimuli.
superior colliculus
nucelus in midbrain, receives visual sensory input
inferior colliculus
nucleus in midbrain, receives auditory sensory input. role in reflexive action to loud noises
forebrain function
cmplex perceptual, cognitive, and behavioural processes. associated w emotion and memory. greatest influence on human behaviour. not necessary for survival but instead w intellectual and emotional capacities of the individual
neuropsychology
study of functions and behaviours associated with specific regions of the brain
methods of studying neuropsychology
lesions in lab animals ,electrically stimulating and recording brain activity (creating cortical maps which paint a picture of what different areas of the brain are responsible for. also eegs. also regional cerebral blood flow.
uses of electrodes in neuropsychology
electrode stimulation, leading to specific muscles movements - important in creation of cortical maps. also in recording of electrical activity produced by brain itself, through inserting ultrasensitive microelectrodes into brain cells, then recording their activity, maknig an EEG.
regional cerebral blood flow
method of brain mapping. detects patterns of blood flow to diff. areas of brain, allows for broad patterns of neural activity. patient will inhale radioactive gas, then the radioactivity in bloodstream of brain is measured.
thalamus function
structure wtihin forebrain that’s important as a relay station for incoming sensory info (except for smell). sorts and transmits info to the correct area of the cerebral cortex
hypothalamus function
fight, flight, feed, fuck. hemoeostatic function (metabolism, temperature, water balance), and emotional experience during high arousal (aggressive and sexual behaviour). helps control some endocrine function + autonomic nervous system.
lateral hypothalmus function
hunger center, will detect when body needs food or fluids
ventromedial hypothalamus function
satiety center, provides signal for “stop eating”
anterior hypothalamus function
sexual behaviour control, stimulation causes extreme arousal. also regulates sleep and body temperature
three important parts of the hypothalamus
lateral, ventromedial, anterior
posterior pituitary
from diencephalon. composed of axonal projections from the hypothalamus and is site of release for ADH (antidiuretic hormone) and oxytocin
pineal gland
from diencephalon. secretes melatonin, regulating circadian rhythms. receives signals from retina which takes in sunlight
basal ganglia
coordinates muscle movement as they receive from cortex, and relay to brain and spinal cord.
